Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-19
ASLEEP SEVEN MONTHs.
A Remarkable Case or Cataiepsy
i'm nm Illinois Town.

A Joliet Qll.) dispatch says: The case
OF Mrs. Herbert, the cataleptlc OF
st. Joseph's Hospital, this city, is at
tracing very wide attention, and APP
pears to battle the efforts OF medical
men to properly diagnose it. For 2l9
days she has slept, and all the ingenuity
and skill that has been broughtto bear
to bring her back to consciousness has
been unavailing. She continues to
sleep day after day, and has wasted
away physically until she is almost O
phantom. Local spiritualists declare her
to be in the trance state and say she will
make some astonishing revelations be-
fore long. Cranks besiege the hospital,
desirous OF obtaining view OF the
famous sleeper, but they are rigidly
excluded.
Meanwhile tho impassive object OF
their curiosity sits in the easy chair
provided for her in the hospital. She
rarely moves muscle, and should the
attendant raise her arm and not replace
it in her lap it would remain in the
exact position in which it had been
placed until again moved by the doctor
or nurse.
The sleeper furnished everybody
surprise yesterday, however. Old
Mrs. Burns, who knew Mrs. Herbert
before her catalepsy occurred, occupies
the same ward with her, and was left
alone with the sleeper Sister Barbara,
hearing an alarm from that ward, has
tened thither and found Mrs. Burns
crouched upon the floor crossing her
self vigorously and in state of great
excitement. She told the following
story of her experience with Mrs.
Herbert:
Lord help me, but thought I'd
have a fit whin l saw the lids OF her
eyes roll up and she lookin' at me wid
all her might as if she'd look hole
through me body. Whin she seen how
bad l was scared she set up laughin',
and thin, before / could get word in
edgeways, she began to rattle away
about her ncighbors rs fast as horse
could trot. The sound of her voice
was so sharp that it give me pain in
me ears, and shook me hand at her
hy way of biddin' her to stop her
clatter, but she kept right on, like she
was wound up fur month. At last she
stopped long enough to take her breath,
when axed her why it was she didn't
spakc to her childer whin they came TO
see her t'other day. Wud ye behave it.
the mint l put that TO her she snapped
her eyes shut lex two traps, and her
Jaws wint together like bang. Divil
the word more could l git out of her.
DR.. Ward, the physician who has at
tended Mrs. Herbert closely, had a
similar experience with her some time
ago. She had then been asleep three
months, but the Doctor was not even
then convinced that she was not shaun
ming. One day he observed that the
pose of the woman's head indicated
that she had been leaning forward and
had quickly straightened it up as he
entered the room. Her hands were
extremely cold and her lips deep pur-
pie. Her face was AS pallid as death.
The Doctor told her TO stand up. She
did not move until he touched her
shoulder, when she Immediately stood
up, her arms hanging liieless at her
sides. The Doctor had small foot
stool placed in their path, and then
said "Now, Mrs. Herbert, We will take
our morning walk.
at may have been imagination, "
said the Doctor, "but thought l saw
the suggestion of a smile play about
the corners Of her mouth as / spoke to
her. However, holding her hand in
mine, / led the way to the centre of
the room, where Sister Barbara had
placed the footstocl, and as we neared
It quickened the pace somewhat, and
Mrs. Herbert tripped over it and would
certainly have fallen had l not been
theret to catch her. As she Strengthened
herself up she opened her eyes for q amo-
ment only and then burst out laughing.
1t seemed to be bysterical laugh, but
she was over it in a moment and she be-
came apparently as insensible IS ever to
any physical emotion from that day
until yesterday, when she is alleged to
have talked at length to Mrs. Burns.
1t is certainly the case" continued DR..
Ward, "that she is now as fast asleep
as ever, and it is grave question whe-
ther her next awakening, should the
interregnum Of apathy be extended to
the same period as has been noted in
the past, will not be in another world. ="
Mrs. Herbert receives only about
enough food daily to sustain life in q
bird, the doctors say, and it is their
opinion that she cannot long live in her
present condition.